Generally speaking, this application discloses techniques relating to weatherproofing plug connections for electrical cords, such as extension cords or decorative lighting cords.
It may be desirable to keep moisture from interfering with electrical cord plug connections. If such a connection is corrupted by moisture, short circuits to ground may occur causing a potentially dangerous condition or causing circuit breakers, fuses, or ground-fault interrupt protection circuits to prevent the flow of current through the electrical cord. For example, outdoor holiday lighting often involves the use of multiple plug connections in an environment with unfavorable environmental conditions (for example, snow, melting snow, fog, sleet, freezing rain, rain, extreme temperatures, salt, etc.).
One attempted solution to these problems is shown in FIGS. 4A-4C. A gasket is placed between male and female cord plugs and a plastic housing is connected around the plug connection. The gasket mechanism may be relatively small (for example, about the size of a quarter or a little thicker than a penny) and may not be sufficiently durable under unfavorable environmental conditions, especially when exposed to a substantial amount of moisture. As another example, the plastic housing may not be effective at keeping out moisture (for example, moisture may be able to penetrate through the housing connections and through the holes where the cord cables run).
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of certain techniques of the present invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purposes of illustration, certain techniques are shown in the drawings. It should be understood, however, that the claims are not limited to the arrangements and instrumentality shown in the attached drawings. Furthermore, the appearance shown in the drawings is one of many ornamental appearances that can be employed to achieve the stated functions of the system.